Automatic telephone-switch.



No. 651,540. Patented June I2, 1900. n. T. WATT.

AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE SWITCH.

. (Application filed Apr. 12, 1900.\

(No Model.)

HHIHH W itnesses- Atcdrney.

NI'IED STATES Fries.

PATENT AUTOMATIC TELEPHONE-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 651,540, dated June 12, 1900.

Application filed April 12, 1900. Serial No. 12,511. (No model.)

. To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT T. WATT, a citizen of the United States, residing atLaurel Springs, in the county of Camden and State of New Jersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Telephone- Switches, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to inter-communicating automatic telephone-switches for use in large factories, department stores, and similar buildings where it is desirable to have telephonic communication with the various departments or rooms; and the object of my improvement is to provide mechanism where'- by any particular telephone in the system may be quickly and easily put in communication with any other telephone in the same system without ringing up all the otherinstruments on the line and without having a special attendant to manipulate a switchboard.

In order that my automatic switching device may be put in operation, it is necessary that the telephone at each station be placed on a separate line and each line pass through all of the other stations instead of toa centrally-located switchboard. The particular arrangement of the wires for telephones of this class being well known, I have not shown these connecting-wires.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a telephone provided with my automatic switch. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation ofthe telephone, showing the switchingmechanism. Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the switching device, as on line x 00 of Fig. 1. Fig. a is a sectional view on line y y of Fig. 2.

A represents the wooden case inclosing the switch mechanism; B, the transmitter; C, the receiver, having the usual connections; D, the hook upon which the receiver is suspended. This hookis of the usual and well-known form, being provided with contact-plates and pivoted at a.

' E is a call-bell; E, the push-button con nected with all of the call-bells in the system.

F is a metal plate fastened on the front of the case A and having thereon figures that indicate the floors or rooms to be communicated with.

a is a finger or pointer to indicate the room the inside of the case, being onefor each floor or room to be communicated with.

I) is a long contact-plate connected by wire to the receiver 0.

, c is a movable contact-plate adapted to slide over and form electrical connections between the long plate I) and the several short plates 6 Z).

a is a projecting post or stud formed on the end of the part that carries the sliding contact-plate c. This post slides along the edge of the lever A and is adapted to enter the notches therein. The sliding contactplate a is fastened or connected to a headpiece a that slides over and upon the rod 12 secured in the case A.

b is a spiral spring fitting over the rod 1) and under the movable headpiece a to which it is attached in the manner shown in Fig. 2.

A is a notched lever, one end of which is pivoted at c to the inside of the case A, the opposite end having attached thereto the spiral spring c fastened to the side of the case A. This lever A is. provided with a notch for each room or floor above No. 1.

p c is a post or projection secured on the face of the notched lever A.

c is a strap or loop fastened on the notched lever A near the post 0 B is an arm or lever the free end of which passes through the loop 0 and the opposite end pivoted to the bel1-crank lever B pivoted at d to the inside of the case A. One end of the bell-crank lever B is bent outwardly at right angles to the main portion and is connected with the inner end of the receiver-hook D by the link d, so that the lever B is operated by the movement of the receiver-hook up or down as the receiver is placed upon or taken off of the hook.

d is a slanting projection or hump formed on the lever B at or near the middle thereof.

d is a projecting post secured upon the inside of the case A in such a position that the surface of the inclined extension or hump d will impinge against it as this lever is moved back or forward.

d is a spiral spring one end of which is attached to the lever B and the opposite end secured to the side of thecase A. The for* ward end of the lever B is provided with a hook 61 that operates upon the post 0 on the notched lever A.

The various parts of the switching mech= anism are insulated wherever necessary, said insulations being indicated by the solid black portions shown in the drawings.

The several parts of my device being constructed and arranged as shown, with the receiver G hanging upon the hook D, the operation is as follows: The finger or pointer a is pulled down until it points to the number of the room or floor with which the operator desires to communicate. This movement of the finger a, carries the post a into the eorresponding notch on the lever A and brings the operator in electrical connection with the room indicated by the pointer a. The signal is then given by pushing the button E, and thus ringing the callbell in the room indicated by the pointer. After ringing the callbell the receiver 0 is lifted from the hook D, and the conversation can be carried on as desired. \Vhen the receiver is taken up and the hook relieved of the weight, the spring (Z connected therewith, will force the hook upwardly, carrying with it the attached end of the bell-crank lever 13 This movement of the lever I3 will project the arm or lever 3 forward in such a position that the hook portion (Z will titaround the post a on the notched lever A, being held in that position by the spring (Z W hen the conversation is finished, the receiver is hung upon the hook D, which is depressed by the weight of said receiver and carries down with it the attached end of the bell-crank lever B pulling back the arm B and the notched lever A, thus releasing the post 0 and allowing the movable contactplate 0 to be forced home and into the position shown in Fig. 2 by means of the spiral spring 0 acting on the headpiece (0 As the lever L is pulled backwardly, the hump or inclined portion (2 impinging against the post (Z forces the lever 13 down, thus releasing the hook (Z from the post 0 onthe face of the notched lever A, bringing the parts in the position shown in Fig. 2 and ready for another call when desired. Instead of using the spiral spring 11 sliding on the rod If, for bringing the movable contact-plate a into position any other convenient device may be used for that purpose.

If desired, the lever 3 may be permanently pivoted or fastened to post a on the notched lever A, and the post d hump d and spiral spring (1 omitted, in which case to operate the switch properly it will be necessary to lift the receiver C from the hook D before setting the index-finger to the roomnumber;

Having thus described myinvention, What I claim as new, and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent, is

1. In a telephone switching device, the combination of the bell-erank lever B having one end connected to the receiver-hook, the arm or lever 13, attached to the end of the crank-lever B and having on its forward end a hook portion, the suspended notched lever A, having thereon a projection or post adapted to engage with the hook on the end of the lever B, the movable headpiece a adapted to slide up and down and having thereon a post or extension adapted to fit into the notches in the lever A, and connected with a movable contact-plate that forms an electrical connection between the small contact-plates b and long contact-plate 1), sub stantially as shown and for the purpose described.

2. In a telephone switching device, the combination of the bell-crank lever B having one end connected to the receiver-hook D, the lever 13', having thereon the hook portion (1 and the hump d impinging against the post (P, the suspended notched lever A, having thereon the post 0 the series of small contact-plates Z), and the long contactplate b, the movable headpiece (1 sliding over the rod 72 and connected with the contact-plate c, and having thereon an extension or post that his into .the notches on the lever A, the spring b fitting over the rod 11 and the tinger or pointer a, connected with the headpiece and sliding over an index-plate, all arranged, substantially as shown and for the purpose described.

3. In a telephone switching device, the combination of the bell-crank lever I3 having one end connected to the receivenhook, the arm or lever B, one end of which is attached to the end of the crank-lever B and the opposite end attached to the suspended notched lever a, a movable headpiece adapted to slide up and down and having thereon an extension adapted to fit into the notches in the lever A, and connected with a movable eontact-plate that forms an electrical connection between the small contact-plates b, and the long contaet-plate b, substantially as shown and for the purpose described.

at. In a telephone-switch, the combination of the pivoted bell-crank lever B one end of which is attached to the receiving-hook, the lever B, jointedly connected at one end to the lever E the opposite end being connected to the suspended notched lever A, the series of small contact-plates b, and the long contactplate I), the movable headpiece a carrying the contact-plate c, and having an extension that fits into the notches on the lever A, the index-finger a, connected with the movable headpiece, and the face-plate F, fastened on the front of the telephone-box and having thereon figures or letters that indicate the room to be communicated with, substantially as shown and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT T. IVAT'I.

Witnesses:

THOS. D. MOWLDS,

SAML. II. KIRKPATRICK. 

